Trinity Herbarium Reopens Following Major Renovation

Trinity College Dublin’s Herbarium, home to up to half a million preserved plant specimens representing three centuries of Irish botanical research, officially reopened on 31 August following a major two-year renovation.

The reopening celebrated the Herbarium’s history and future, with visitors exploring the newly renovated facilities, learning about historic specimens and taking part in a live digitisation session. Chair of Botany and PI of the Plant–Climate Interaction Lab, Prof. Jennifer McElwain, opened the session by highlighting the importance of the Herbarium to the Botany Department, botanical research and conservation. Postdocs Leticia Figueiredo Candido and Miriam Slodownik also participated, presenting the Witness Trees Project and highlighting how annual plant collections from the Witness Trees can connect long-term tree monitoring with historical botanical records.

The Herbarium was subsequently visited by Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, who toured the newly renovated facility and learned about the research taking place there, including the Witness Trees Project. The reopening marks a new chapter for Trinity’s Herbarium as a centre for botanical research, conservation and digitisation